Electronic devices are ubiquitous in consumer and commercial products and devices throughout the world. Many include circuitry which are often comprised of materials such as silicon, gallium arsenide, and other similar “semi-conductor” materials, and are commonly referred to in industry as “dies.” Any given die may be capable of containing a multitude of circuit elements for performing various functions. In use, these dies are often incorporated into packages known as air cavity packages (ACPs) generally comprised with a housing surrounding a volume for containing the dies and various electrical components that provide a variety of functions. These air cavity packages can be classified as fully, near, or non-hermetic.
One benefit of some conventional ACP's, particularly RF packages, is that they have dies that generate heat when they are under power, which helps prevent moisture from entering the package, for example, by creating a pressure differential (e.g., an internal pressure above atmospheric pressure or about 15 psi) which drives moisture out. The presence of moisture in an ACP is detrimental as it can impact performance and lead to corrosion and failure of the package and its components.
However, for some packages, particularly those that are known as “deep packages” including communication-related and/or those used for data storage, which often use lasers to transmit data, insufficient heat is generated during use to aid in preventing moisture from entering the package and/or driving moisture out.
As such, there is a need for apparatus, systems, and methods that prevent moisture from entering packages and/or drive moisture out, preferably in a cost-effective manner.